Canada's new ambassador to Israel a strong critic of PA

A Toronto lawyer who has written freelance columns about the Middle East is Canada's new ambassador to Israel.

The announcement of Vivian Bercovici comes ahead of Prime Minister Stephen Harper's trip to Israel and the Middle East later this month.

In her past writing, Bercovici has praised Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and taken a hard line against Hamas and the Palestinian leadership.

Bercovici, who is the first non-diplomat sent to Israel by Harper's Tories since they won power in 2006, has served on the boards of Radio-Canada and the Canadian Journalism Foundation.

Her law career has spanned two decades and has included specializations in aboriginal affairs, regulatory matters and media issues.

Her only past government experience appears to be a two-year stint in the 1990s as a senior policy adviser in Ontario's financial ministry.

Bercovici's nomination has met wide criticism, mostly over the fact that she has little diplomatic experience, but Canadian Foreign Minister John Baird said Wednesday that it was not unusual, adding that previous Liberal and Conservative governments have also, at times, named senior political aides or MPs for ambassadorships.

"I think it won't be a huge shock to anyone that Canada is a strong supporter of the State of Israel," said Baird in announcing the appointment.

"We have been a strong supporter of the only liberal democracy in the region. I would say the state of our relationship with the Arab world is strong, getting stronger every day. We have a good relationship with the Palestinian Authority."

Baird went on to point out Bercovici will be the representative to Israel exclusively and not the PA. Speaking later on CBC News Network's "Power & Politics," Baird dismissed speculations suggesting that the fact that Bercovici is Jewish had influenced the government's decision on her nomination.

"Before we offered her the position I, in fact, personally did not know her religious background, that's not how our government runs things," Baird said. "We look for people who are talented and capable and can do the job."

Baird said Bercovici, who studied in Israel in the early 1980s, will bring a "unique skill set" to her new post: "She is being appointed as our ambassador to Israel, not Ramallah. She has been critical of the PA, and critical of the Israeli government on occasion. We have a lot of confidence that she will be able to do a good job… We certainly can't be hostage to past comments."

Bercovici, who appeared alongside Baird, read from prepared notes as she said Israel "has no greater friend in the world than Canada.

"I know that this government's principled stance on various fronts is warmly welcomed and appreciated by both the Israeli government and the Israeli people.

"Canada supports Israel's right to exist in peace and security. Canada stands firm in the international fight against anti-Semitism, including raising the awareness of the Holocaust," she said.

"Canada recognizes the importance of building inclusive and stable societies underpinned by democracy, freedom, human rights, and the rule of law."

In one of her Toronto Star columns in 2013 Bercovici leveled harsh criticism at the PA, accusing Ramallah of having no real interest in striking peace with Israel.

"Hamas, the PA and just about every government in the Middle East make no secret of their collective ideological commitment to the total destruction of the State of Israel, which they regard as a blasphemous blight on the Arab and Muslim worlds," she wrote.

"So in the end, it really doesn't matter to them who wins and leads in Israel," she wrote. "There is no willing negotiator on the Palestinian side."

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